Chicken Veggie Skillet

Ok- This may be a short post, but I had to post this! This was DELICIOUS! I love when made up dinners turn out AWESOME! So My husband said he would buy this dinner....I enjoyed that compliment! It is quick and very low fat. It technically isn't considered clean since I used 1/4 of a ranch dressing packet and Italian dressing packed...but it really made an awesome flavor...so I'm sticking with it! -Here is my lesson for this post...did you know that you don't need to use butter when cooking meet or oils? Use broth! First of all it prevents sticking and it also makes the meat juicy which is the goal right? There you go...use broth...ditch the oils and butter.

Chicken Veggie Skillet

1 lb chicken, cubed

1 medium zucchini

1/2 yellow onion

1 cup frozen corn

1 yellow squash

1 red bell pepper

1/2 cup veggie or chicken stock (low sodium)

1/4 ranch dressing packet

1/4 Italian dressing packet

1/2 tsp. chili powder

pepper to taste

Add broth to a skillet. Add cubed chicken and chili powder. Cook over med-high heat.  When chicken is browning on all sides add red pepper and onion. Saute with the chicken until the vegetables begin to be tender. Add remaining vegetables. Add in seasonings from both dressing packets. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes until the broth and seasoning form a thicker sauce. Serve over rice or Quinoa! 

*you can add any vegetables you would like it all would be amazing!

Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

Squash is a frustrating vegetable for me to prepare...does anyone else feel the same? Spaghetti Squash is one of my favorites however, because I truly feel apart from a different texture there isn't much taste difference between the squash and a noodle. I have really wanted to try a good recipe that involves spaghetti squash, but honestly sometimes I'm lazy and don't want to deal with the hassle of cooking the squash. Well no more...this was easy and hardly any work on my part! My 5 year old and 2 year old just ate it like it was plain ol' spaghetti (which is the 5 year old's favorite dinner) Also my husband...let me move over to his reaction...I can always easily tell when my husband doesn't like something I make...he simple eats it. No compliments usually just a "Thanks for dinner!" If however, he likes something he usually will say "This is pretty good, Thanks for dinner!" IF he LOVES something he repeats that multiple times and also adds "This is a keeper!" Oh how predictable we are sometimes to each other!

Anyways, during dinner this spaghetti got an "It's a keeper!" line! It is healthy, its filling and it's delightfully simple! Enjoy

Forgive me for no pictures of the process or finished product, my computer is quite sick and it is not uploading photos well at all (this explains my lack of blogging lately)

Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 lb ground lean turkey (optional)

1 can crushed tomatoes

*2 C low sodium vegetable stock 

1 T basil

1 T oregano

1/2 T minced garlic

1/2 T parsley

Cut spaghetti squash in half so it has the top and the bottom, not so there are two long pieces. Add tomatoes, broth, cooked turkey and seasonings to a crock pot. Place the two pieces of squash cut side down into the sauce. Cover with lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours. The last hour take a fork and carefully shred the squash out of the shell. Continue cooking for remaining time! Serve with green salad and you're going to have a healthy, yummy spaghetti dinner! Enjoy

* If you'd like a thicker sauce or like the flavors of canned sauces in place of broth add 1 jar of store bought sauce!

Cheesy Cauliflower Quinoa

This may sound like the most random meal...however if you are strapped for cash this holiday (I feel ya) and looking for a fast, healthy, meal that your kiddos even husband will eat...then look no further! This meal came from looking in the fridge for inspiration to come to me...to our plates within 30 minutes! It was very tasty.

After I explained to my husband my idea for dinner...he gave me the nose wrinkle! Yuck! Well I am happy to say that after the first bite (because he's a trooper) He said..."This is really good!" My husband can be like a kid and if he doesn't like something he'll push it around his plate and he won't finish the meal...this was gone with no leftovers! This equals a happy mom!

Cheesy Cauliflower Quinoa

1 head of cauliflower, chopped

1 1/2 c uncooked quinoa

2 c vegetable broth

1/2 c cheese of any kind, I prefer white cheeses (you can add more if you'd like it really cheesy)

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp italian seasoning

dash of parsley 

Add cauliflower and Quinoa to a large pot*. Add broth with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover with lid until liquid is absorbed. Add, shredded cheese to pot, mix until melted. Mix in seasonings and top with parsley! Serve immediately. Enjoy!

* if you like more firm cauliflower, add it after you bring it to a boil and reduce to a simmer

Thanksgiving Left Over Round-Up

Thanksgiving is my favorite meal! I love mashed potatoes and gravy...oh it is my #1 comfort food! I love it all, the veggies, the turkey, the pie! Yes, one day a  year I indulge in it all. I do however have a rule to keep myself in check, I keep it to a holiday season of 1/2! I have a serving of just about everything, but I half it. I don't have full piece of pie, I cut a piece in half.

The next best thing about Thanksgiving is the leftovers. Are you like me though...I can only eat so many Turkey Sandwiches! I like variety and I love to use my mashed potatoes again :)

I wanted to share with you two
of my favorite Post Thanksgiving leftover recipes the greatest part about these recipes is they all Freeze! There is no rule that you have to indulge in all your leftovers in the same week! That could do some damage if you are trying to reach some health goals especially weight loss. My opinion on the actual dinner it is OK to keep it and use it in these meals...now my opinion on the pies...I personally don't keep them I love them for the Thanksgiving day and that is all for me. That is up to you if you keep the desserts in your house. I cannot eat that much dessert and stay on track...it's just not how my metabolism works unfortunately.

So the first leftover recipe incorporates ALL the Thanksgiving goodness except the potatoes. The veggies are the ones that I had for my personal dinner, if you had something else I really think just about any veggie would be wonderful, this is probably the easiest casserole ever because everything is cooked and right there ready to be thrown in.

1) Thanksgiving Casserole

2 cups chopped Turkey

1 c leftover stuffing (or whatever you have)

1/2 c chopped green beans

1/2 c chopped carrots

1/2 c leftover gravy

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a layer of vegetables on the bottom of dish, add layer of turkey, add a layer of stuffing then cover stuffing with a layer of gravy. Repeat until all is used. Cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes until gravy is bubbly. Enjoy

My next favorite use of that leftover turkey, is turkey chowder. Traditionally I've done a Turkey Noodle soup, but lately I've been loving the chowder and this is no exception. It is a light chowder that really is a great way to use up that cooked turkey. If you don't want it right away throw it in a container or bag and freeze it for another day! 

2) Healthy Turkey Chowder

1 1/2 c chopped turkey

1/2 onion chopped

1 baking potato cubed

1 c frozen corn

1 c frozen peas and carrots 

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 T basil

thyme and rosemary to taste

4 c vegetable or chicken stock

2 c skim milk

Add all ingredients except milk to pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until potatoes are cooked. Add milk and simmer another 2 minutes. Serve immediately. Great with leftover dinner rolls and salad!